Unlocking Hidden Gold in Your Google Ads: The Search Term Report

You're investing your hard-earned money in Google Ads to attract new customers and grow your business. You're seeing clicks, and your website traffic might be ticking up. I am sure this question has probably crossed your mind at some point…

What are people really typing into Google to find me?

It's an important question, and (currently), Google Ads offers a powerful yet often overlooked report that helps answer this question:

The Search Term Report!

Think of your carefully chosen keywords as fishing nets you've cast into the sea, which is Google search. The Search Term report acts like a log of exactly what kind of "fish" (potential customers) your nets are catching, although annoyingly not all, but enough that it's still useful. Sometimes, you might be surprised by what you reel in!

This report goes beyond just showing you which of your keywords triggered an ad. It reveals the actual words and phrases real people used before they saw and potentially clicked on your advertisement. This insight is pure gold for any small business owner looking to optimise their ad spend, refine their targeting, and ultimately, attract more of the right customers.

You can find this informational treasure within your Google Ads account. On the left-hand menu, navigate to the Insights and Reports tab and click on Search terms.

Let's break down the core elements of this invaluable report:

Decoding the Core Columns of the Search Term Report

When you first open the Search Term report, you'll be greeted by several key columns. Understanding each of these is the first step to unlocking its power:

A. Search Term: The Customer's Voice

This column is the heart of the report. It displays the exact words and phrases that users typed into Google, triggering one of your ads to appear.

• Example: Let's say you run a local bakery in Exeter and one of your keywords is "artisan bread." The Search Term report might reveal that people are actually searching for terms like "best sourdough Exeter," "where to buy ciabatta bread near me, "or even "gluten-free bread Exeter."
• Benefit: This provides direct insight into your potential customers' language. You might discover search terms you hadn't even considered when building your keyword list or terms you may not want to show up for. This allows you to understand customer intent more accurately. Are they looking for something very specific? Are they just browsing? The search term gives you the clues.

B. Match Type: How Closely Did You Match?

This column tells you how closely the actual search term matched the keyword you had set up in your campaign. There are a few main match types:

• Broad Match: This is the widest net. Your ad can show for searches that include your keyword, misspellings, synonyms, related searches, and other relevant variations.

Imagine a huge net with big holes. It catches a lot of things, but not all of them might be what you're after.

• Example: If your keyword is "dog groomer," a broad match might show your ad for searches like "cat grooming prices," "pet spa near me," or even "dog toys online."
• Phrase Match: This offers more control. Your ad can show for searches that include the exact phrase, or close variations of it, with additional words before or after. Phrase match keywords are in quotation marks (e.g., "dog groomer Exeter").

Think of a net with medium-sized holes. It's more selective and aims to catch searches containing your specific phrase.

• Example: For "dog groomer Exeter," your ad might show for "affordable dog groomer Exeter," "dog groomer Exeter reviews," or "best dog groomer in Exeter." It likely wouldn't show for "Exeter cat groomer."
• Exact Match: This is the most precise option. Your ad will primarily show for searches that are an exact match to your keyword, or very close variations (like plurals, misspellings, or reordered words with the same meaning). Exact match keywords are enclosed in square brackets (e.g., [dog groomer Exeter]).

This is like a net with small, precisely sized holes, designed to catch only very specific types of "fish."

• Example: For [dog groomer Exeter], your ad would likely show for "dog groomer Exeter," "dog groomers Exeter," or "dog groomer Exeter." It wouldn't show for "dog grooming Exeter prices."
• Benefit: Understanding the match type for each search term helps you see how your initial keyword strategy is playing out. Are you getting a lot of irrelevant traffic from broad match keywords? Are your phrase and exact match keywords performing as expected? This information is crucial for refining your match type settings.

C. Added/Excluded: Taking Action on Insights

This column is where you see the actions of your analysis. It indicates whether the specific search term has:

• Added as a keyword: If you've identified a high-performing search term that wasn't in your original keyword list, you can add it as a new keyword to your campaign or ad group. This gives you more control over your bidding and ad messaging for that specific search.
• Added as a negative keyword (excluded): Equally, if you find search terms irrelevant to your business and wasting your ad spend, you can add them as negative keywords. This prevents your ads from showing for those unwanted searches in the future.
  • Example: If you sell running shoes and see search terms like "casual sneakers" appearing, you might add "casual" and "sneakers" as negative keywords to prevent your ads from showing to people looking for everyday footwear.
• Benefit: This column clearly shows your actions based on the insights from the Search Term report, helping you track your optimisation efforts.

D. Clicks: Foot Traffic to Your Website

This straightforward metric tells you the number of times users clicked on your ad after searching for that specific term. Think of clicks as the number of people who saw your shop window (impression) and were interested enough to actually walk through the door (click) to see what you offer.

E. Impressions: How Often Were You Seen?

This indicates how many times your ad was displayed on the Google search results page for that particular search term. This is like the number of times your shop sign was visible to people walking down the street.

F. CTR (Click-Through Rate): How Engaging Is Your Ad?

CTR is a crucial metric representing the percentage of impressions resulting in a click. It's calculated as:

CTR = Number of Impressions/Number of Clicks​ × 100%

• A high CTR means that a higher percentage of people who saw your shop sign were compelled to come inside. It suggests that your ad is relevant and appealing to the search term.
• Benefit: A low CTR might indicate that your ad copy isn't relevant to the search term, or that you're showing up for searches that aren't a good fit for your offerings.

G. Cost: What Did That Traffic Cost You?

This column shows the total amount of money you've spent on clicks resulting from that specific search term.

• Benefit: Understanding the cost associated with different search terms helps you identify which searches are driving up your expenses without delivering results.

Adding More Detail: Unlocking Deeper Performance Insights

The default columns provide a solid foundation, but Google Ads allows you to add even more columns to the Search Term report to gain a richer understanding of performance, especially when it comes to conversions and return on investment. Look for the "Columns" button above the report table to do this.

Here are some particularly valuable columns for small business owners:

A. Conversions: Turning Clicks into Customers

This column shows the number of completed actions that resulted from clicks on that specific search term. What constitutes a "conversion" depends on what you've set up as goals in your Google Ads account – it could be a sale, a lead form submission, a phone call, a sign-up, or any other valuable action for your business.

• These are the people who came into your store (clicked on your ad) and actually bought something or took the desired action you wanted them to.
• Benefit: Identifying which search terms are actually leading to conversions is paramount. You might find that some seemingly popular search terms (high clicks) don't actually translate into business results.

B. Conversion Rate: How Efficient Are Your Clicks?

The conversion rate tells you the percentage of clicks from a specific search term that resulted in a conversion. It's calculated as:

Conversion Rate = Number of Clicks/Number of Conversions ​× 100%

• Benefit: This metric shows which search terms drive the most conversions relative to the number of clicks they generate. A high conversion rate indicates that the traffic from that search term is highly relevant and likely to take the desired action on your website.

C. Conversion Value: The Worth of Your Conversions

If you've set up conversion values in your Google Ads account (for example, assigning a monetary value to a sale or a lead), this column will show the total value of the conversions attributed to clicks from that specific search term.

• Benefit: This is particularly useful for e-commerce businesses or businesses with different service values. It allows you to see which search terms are driving the most revenue.

D. Cost Per Conversion: How Much Does a Customer Cost?

This key metric tells you the average cost you paid for each conversion that originated from a specific search term. It's calculated as:

Cost Per Conversion = Number of Conversions/Total Cost for the Search Term​

• Benefit: Understanding your cost per conversion for different search terms is vital for profitability. You can identify search terms that deliver conversions at an efficient cost and those that cost you too much to acquire a customer.

Why This Matters: Taking Action for Business Growth

The Search Term report isn't just a collection of data; it's a goldmine of insights that can directly impact your bottom line. Here's why it's so crucial at both the campaign and ad group levels:

A. Campaign Level Insights:

Analysing the Search Term report at the campaign level can reveal broad trends across your entire advertising efforts.

• Benefit: You might discover entire categories of irrelevant searches triggering your ads across multiple ad groups. Adding these as campaign-level negative keywords can significantly reduce wasted ad spend and improve overall campaign efficiency. For example, if you're a local service provider in Exeter and consistently see searches from other regions, you can add those locations as negative keywords at the campaign level.

B. Ad Group Level Precision:

Drilling down into the Search Term report at the ad group level allows for more granular optimisation.

• Benefit: You can identify highly specific and well-performing search terms within a particular ad group that weren't part of your initial keyword list. Adding these as new keywords to that ad group can improve your targeting and potentially allow you to create more specific and compelling ad copy. Conversely, for tighter control, you might find irrelevant search terms within a specific ad group that need to be added as negative keywords at that ad group level.

Making It a Habit: Regular Optimisation is Key

The Google Ads landscape is constantly evolving, and so are people's search behaviours. Therefore, the Search Term report isn't something you should look at just once.

Making it a regular feature of your optimisation routine is a must!

• Aim to check your Search Term report at least weekly, or even more frequently if your campaigns have a high traffic volume.
• By regularly monitoring this report, you'll stay on top of emerging search trends, identify new opportunities for relevant keywords, and quickly address any wasted ad spend on irrelevant searches.
• Consistent monitoring allows for continuous improvement in your campaign performance, leading to better targeting, higher conversion rates, and a more efficient use of your advertising budget.

Turn Search Data into Business Wins

The Google Ads Search Term report is more than just a list of queries; it's an insight into understanding your customers' needs and how they're searching for businesses like yours. By regularly analysing this report, understanding its various columns, and acting on your insights, you can transform your Google Ads campaigns into a powerful engine for business growth.

So, take some time today to explore your Search Term report. You might be surprised by the hidden gold waiting to be discovered – insights that can help you refine your targeting, attract more qualified leads, and ultimately, achieve your business goals.

Happy optimising!

If you would like help

Curious what search terms are driving your traffic? Book a Google Ads Power Hour with me to analyse your keywords